The Christmas Truce of 1914 Imagine you’re surrounded by the sounds of thundering cannons, explosives, and screaming of your fellow soldiers. You’re freezing in the mud of a trench, some of your fingers are missing, and you’re not certain you’re going to see another sunrise... Suddenly there’s silence, and by some miracle, you hear the familiar, joyful sound of a Christmas carol. One morning one hundred years ago, tons of British, Belgian, and French soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches, and spent Christmas day with their German enemies along the Western front. Since that astounding day, the event has been seen as a kind of miracle, a rare moment of peace just a few months into a war that would eventually claim many, many lives. This event occurred during the first World War in December of 1914. It seems the utter misery of daily life in the cold, wet, mud trenches was enough to motivate troops to initiate …show more content…
British troops returned their carols and eventually started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’, the Germans started singing the same hymn to the Latin lyrics... The following morning the soldiers exited their trenches with their hands in the air, hoping they wouldn’t get shot at. For some unexplainable reason, there were no shots fired and the soldiers were safe to exchange holiday greetings and good wishes. It is said they took time to bury their dead, as well as trade Christmas gifts. These consisted mostly of cigarettes, buttons, and hats. One account mentions a British soldier having his hair cut by his pre-war German barber; another talks of a pig-roast. Several mention “football” with makeshift soccer balls, although, contrary to popular legend, it seems unlikely that there were any actual matches. Soldiers on other battle fronts attempted a truce but were immediately